Well, all done for the year. Entered the 8-team double-elim state as the #1 seed i the state. My 2018 took the mound in the first game and was as dominating as I have ever seen him...until he wasn't. Through 5 innings he had struck out 14 and only three balls had been put in play. He was pounding the strike zone, throwing 89-91 and they couldn't touch him. Through 5 innings, two hits, 14 K's, 0 walks and holding a 5-1 lead. Then came the sixth. He plunked the first batter, gave up a single to the second and then hung an 0-2 curve that a big lefty put about 400' over the right field wall. Still no big deal. Then he walked the next guy and we removed him. The normally reliable relief pitcher loaded the bases with walks and then let a run score on a wild pitch and two more on a single. Scratched one across in the top of the seventh, but lost 7-6.
In the next game, an elimination game, we faced our biggest rival school who we had swept two games from just a couple of weeks ago, 1-0 and 8-5. This was a rematch of the two pitchers who threw the 8-5 game. This time it was a pitcher's duel. Our guy threw a two hitter, but unfortunately, those two hits came in a sequence of single-sac bunt-rbi single and we lost 1-0 with only three hits of our own. My son has been devastated. In the 1-0 loss, it was a sharp single to right that he bobbled for a second. If he had made the play cleanly, he might have had a play at the plate. He feels like he personally blew both games.
That's a baseball lesson for him. If he truly thinks he wants to play this game for a living, he needs to understand there will be lots of days like that.
We only lose two senior starters, both big producers, but should be back next year as a favorite for a state title (been saying that for three years, though). Now, it's on to summer ball. No time to rest. WWBA in Arizona next week, followed closely by the MLB PDP and Fort Meyers for the PG National Showcase.